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. ALVIN JQIIFELLOWS, on NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

Letters Patent No. 79,965, dated July 14, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN TAPE MEASURES.

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110 ALL WHOM IT MAY concerns:

Be it known that I; ALVIN ,J. FELLOWS, of the city and county of New Haven, in' the State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring Measuring Tapes, and I do hereby declare that the following is a. full, clear, and exact description of the construction, character, and operation of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying. drawings, which make part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the apparatus asit will appear when ready for use.

Figure2 is a plan of the same, with the movable side taken 06', showing the internal structure of the apparatus.

My improvement consists in the manner of fitting the spring-click which detains the main or primary spring to the central part of themain-spring barrel, so as to hold the tape at any desired position. i

I make thecase, A, fig. 1, and A A, fig.'.2, of gum-lac and saw-dust, or any other analogous substances, and color it with ivory-black, or any other suitable matter, to suit the taste or market.

I fit the spiral or helical springs, to wind up the tape, in the usual way, as indicated in several sections at a a, &c., by securing it in a suitable sheet-metal barrel, as shown at b, and attaching its inner end to the arbor or stud h, and its outer end to the periphery or rim of the barrel, as is done in watches, &c., as indicated in fig. 2.

I On this stud or arbor h, and outside of the head 6 of the main-spring barrel, I fit a piece of sheet metal as b, in such a position that its'onter ehd will rest in the periphery of the case, as shown at c, fig. 2.

To this plate or piece I attach thespring-click, as shown at d d, in such a manner that the working end d" will hook over the edge of the arm 0 of the knobf, in such a manner that the click, acting against the projection 9 g, &c., on the barrel, will preventthe. recoil of the main-spring, and hold the tape at any desired position, and let it back at pleasure.

.Having made and arranged the parts as before described, I wind on the tape, 13, as represented at B, fig. 2, put on the plate 6 c with the click-springd and d, and the arm e, with its knobf, when the wholowill appear as represented in fig. 2; I then screw the movable cap or side of the caseon to the arborh, when the whole will appear represented in fig. 1.

I am aware that metallic cases have been used with the same kind of main-spring, and with a click-spring attached to the removable side or ca'p of the case, by being soldered to its inner surfaces, and a knob attached to the outer surface of'th'e said removable side, to release the click, and allow the tape to be-drawn in by the main spring; I therefore do not claim any such device, but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the case A with the plato b', click-spring d d, and the arm 0, and knobf, when the whole is constructed, arranged, and fitted for use, substantially as herein described.

A. J. FELLOWS.

Witnesses:

E. W. BALDWLS, R. Frrzounam'. 

